Life's guiltiest of pleasures: soap operas.

Tag Archives: Christian LeBlanc

Our friend and fellow soap fan, LuAnne Cobb from Ohio, attended the third stop on the Soap Opera Mania on Tour Saturday in Cleveland and was kind enough to share her recap of the event with us.
Kara and I met LuAnne in the wee hours of the morning standing in the “All My Children” FastPass At Super Soap Weekend 2007 in Disney World and we met again over dinner at SSW 2008.
LuAnne is a longtime soap fan and an expert in the ABC soaps. Read and enjoy her recap of the third Soap Opera Mania event.BY LuAnne Cobb
My friend Sue and I attended the third stop of Soap Opera Mania on Tour, being promoted by a Michigan company as a precursor to the 3rd voyage of Soap Cruise in January 2010.
We got to the hotel where the event was being held at 6:45 am, hoping to be the first in line (we were!) and stood in line until the doors opened at 10:00. We got a glimpse of 4 stars checking into the hotel at 7 am, just arriving from the West coast.
Around 9 am, we spotted Cameron Mathison and John-Paul Lavosier just finishing breakfast, so we stopped by to say hello.

LuAnne and Cameron
When the doors opened, Sue and I made sure to get front and center seats, which were set up in theater fashion in the shape of a horseshoe with a small stage in the middle. While waiting for the show to start we checked out the merchandise table, where there was shirts, hoodies, tote bags, photo albums and pins. We also picked up our event programs. Before the show started, Sue and I were both interviewed by Julie Clark Robinson, a local lady who reports for Soaps.com. Sue also was interviewed by a local newspaper reporter.
Shortly after 10, the event director Mike welcomed the fans and introduced Cameron Mathison (Ryan on AMC). Cameron then introduced John-Paul Lavosier (Rex on OLTL), Laura Wright (Carly on GH), Tyler Christopher (Nikolas on GH), James Scott (E.J. on DAYS & formerly Ethan on AMC) and Christian LeBlanc (Michael on Y&R). Christian then introduced Brandon Beemer (Owen on B&B), Austin Peck (Brad on ATWT), and Murray Bartlett (Cyrus on GL).
The fans were clapping and we were so excited! Getting to see nine great soap stars 10-feet away was my best experience since Super Soap Weekend in November!
The first hour was a question and answer session. Christian and Austin took turns handing the microphone to the fans. We asked both personal and storyline related questions and shared a lot of laughs.
Christian is a hoot, and also a long talker! After that, the stars split up in different parts of the room and lines formed for the fans to get autographs and pictures. During this time, Sue and I met with Cameron, Christian, JP, James and Austin.
I asked John-Paul who he hopes Rex’s father will turn out to be and he quickly said Bo. He shared his theory: Before Bo went to Viet Nam, he had his sperm frozen and somehow Roxy got it and Rex was born!
I also asked JP why his head was shaved and was told we would find out on OLTL in the next month. (Soap operas are shot four-to-six weeks in advance). All the ABC stars signed my 8×10’s that I made up from photos I took at Super Soap, along with 5×7 pictures that were in the program. I also bought a black t-shirt at the event and I had all the stars sign it with a silver Sharpie.
Austin created a very good humorous caricature on my shirt as well. After this, the stars were given an hour lunch break.
After a half hour, a director from Guiding Light, Adam Reist, spoke to the fans about scripts and sets and directing. He showed a few short videos and told us his background. I later told him that a GL alum, Melina Kanakaredes, is from my hometown and Adam shared a funny story with me from when he was in Akron for Melina’s wedding. I enjoyed meeting him.
The stars were back from lunch now, and it was time for a few lucky fans to act out a scene with their favorite stars. I was not picked, but my friend Sue got to act as an extra on stage in one scene. I laughed so hard at one point I had tears in my eyes. Cameron and JP were acting as fallen mannequins. Cameron was lying face down on the stage with JP lying on Cameron’s back half with his head between Cameron’s legs. It was hysterical! These actors can sure improvise in a heartbeat.
Once again there was a question and answer session, followed by a second meet and greet.
I met Tyler, Laura, Brandon and Murray.
Laura was gorgeous, Tyler looked tired, Brandon has the prettiest eyes, and Murray speaks with the softest Australian accent.
During the second session, the promoter gathered each star and filmed future promos with different fans. Sue sat next to her favorite, Christian, for probably 15 minutes while they filmed promos to run during future CBS soap telecasts. I jumped in at the end, along with Brandon, and Austin (who had his arm around me the whole time) and we filmed promos for the next Soap Cruise.
Hopefully I’ll get to see it on TV or on the web sometime! The program was over and we left around 5:00. The stars were also getting ready to leave and make a two hour drive south for their next stop on Sunday in Columbus.
I left with a smile on my face and wonderful memories for a lifetime.

I spent Saturday afternoon listening to four of daytime’s hottest stars dish about everything from things they hope for their characters to their most memorable or favorite scenes.
And, seasoned journalist that I am, captured it in my notes to share with you!
More good news: I had one-on-one interviews with them and will post those blogs later in the week.
Soap stars Cameron Mathison (Ryan, All My Children), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli, General Hospital), Winsor Harmon (Thorne, The Bold and the Beautiful) and Christian LeBlanc (Michael, The Young and the Restless) appeared at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL.
All four will be taking part in the 2nd voyage of the Soap Cruise, which departs out of Miami on Jan. 22, where fans get to mingle with 15 soap stars on a four-day cruise.
And I attended it with my good friend, fellow journalist and rabid soap fan Sharon Robb from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Two-hundred-plus fans joined us in a fun-filled two hour question and answer session and the fans (also rabid, but not literally) peppered the soap hunks with questions – no holds barred.
The guys ad-libbed everything and took their cues from the audience. It was great entertainment!
Christian ran around with the microphone from fan-to-fan and had the entire audience in stitches with his comments, while the others on stage engaged in repartee with him and the fans.
They started off showing clips of each of the actors from their respective shows.
Cameron asked the audience how they liked Christian’s clip.
“How many Emmys do you have…like 14?” he asked Christian.
To which Christian responded in mock modesty…”Ca-a-mer-o-n-n-n. Stop talking about my Emmys! It’s embarrassing.”
When one fan asked Bradford to sing with her, he called her up onstage to sing solo – and the two finished the song together!
Here are some other highlights:
Question to Christian: Are you going to get your dad out of jail?
Answer: Christian said he’s “thrilled” to be working with Michael Gross, who plays his father, River, on Y&R. Gross is best known as Steven Keaton on the 80’s sitcom “Family Ties.”
“He’s in jail because the feds caught him and my step-father turned him in. You know how that can be,” Christian answered.
From the stage Winsor said, “Sounds like bad writing to me!”
“Win-sor!” Christian said. “It’s a half hour….Only a half hour, isn’t that sad?” referring to the fact that B&B is a half-hour compared to the other soaps’ hour format.
“Just because we get paid more to do less work,” Winsor retorted.
Actually, the two actors film their soaps across the hall from each other in the same studio and the two constantly joke around with each other.
One fan asked Bradford if he would visit the fans at 1 a.m. at the Disney World gates – like he did last year – when he brought fans food and soda while they camped out waiting for Super Soap Weekend to begin. SSW 2008 is this weekend, Nov. 15 and 16.
Because he will taking part in Street Jam this year, Bradford said he has to take better care of himself and not stay up all night.
“Last year, I went out and kind of slept with the crowd on the concrete,” Bradford said. “I won’t be able to do that this year. Number one, because I’d be too tired and number two they forbid me to do that again.”
A woman told Cameron that she loved watching him on “Dancing With The Stars” and that his Superman number was the best dance of the entire season.
Cameron said, “It is phenomenally difficult beyond anything that I could possibly say and add to that I was traveling 3,000 miles to work full-time in New York (filming AMC). It was just insane, but it was fun. Pretty intense.”
A fan asked Winsor if his character, Thorne, will get a love interest.
“We’re in the process of shooting stuff right now regarding where Thorne’s heading with the love interest,” Winsor said. “She’s somebody new on the canvas.”
Question: What are the most difficult scenes that you’ve had to do?
Bradford said the most challenging scenes for him were when Georgie was killed on GH and he found her body.
“It was a great challenge and allowed my character to evolve,” Bradford said. “But we lost a great actress and a great character.”
Well, that’s all for now.
Check back here and I’ll have more from Hard Rock interviews this week.
Coming up this weekend, LIVE FROM SUPER SOAP 2008.

Remember last week I told you about four soap stars appearing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL?
It sounds like a lot of fun and who doesn’t like to get up-close-and-personal with their favorite soap stars?
Well, I have some more info on the event. Check out the details below.Special Engagement to Feature Q & A with
Cameron Mathison (Ryan Lavery, All My Children),
Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli, General Hospital),
Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin, The Young & The Restless) and
Winsor Harmon (Thorne Forrester, The Bold & The Beautiful)
It’s your daydream come true four of daytime television’s hottest soap stars are coming to Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on November 8 at 1 p.m. for a special engagement. Tickets are on sale now.
This is your chance to get the scoop on your favorite soap opera story lines by participating in an exclusive Q & A session with some of the most popular stars on television.
Celebrities scheduled to attend are Cameron Mathison (Ryan Lavery, All My Children and Dancing with the Stars), Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli, General Hospital), Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin, The Young & The Restless) and Winsor Harmon (Thorne Forrester, The Bold & The Beautiful).
All attendees will have a chance to compete in daytime trivia questions for prizes including a grand prize of a trip for two on Celebrity Cruises’ Soap Cruise Second Voyage sponsored by Soap Opera Weekly and Soap Opera Digest.
Visit www.soapcruise.com for a full list of stars scheduled to sail the high seas. The cruise features 16 of the most popular actors starring in soap opera dramas today.
Tickets cost $10*, all seats are reserved and available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, open Monday – Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885, Broward (954) 523-3309, and Palm Beach (561) 966-3309. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.
About Hard Rock Live
Hard Rock Live, a state-of-the-art facility is attracting music, comedy and sports fans. This 5,500-seat indoor arena expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. For more information please visit www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com.
About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino features 71 tables offering Blackjack, Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, and Let it Ride. More than 2,500 of the most popular Vegas-style slots and games are available to play on its 145,000-square-foot casino floor including Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. The Poker Room at Seminole Paradise is a 12,000-square-foot private room offering no-limit Texas Hold ‘em, limit Texas Hold ’em, Seven Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games.
This Four Diamond, AAA-rated, 500-room hotel offers 16 restaurants and lounges, 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, a full-service, European-style spa, and 23 retail shops, 11 nightclubs, and Paradise Live – a 600 seat venue with classic music album performances in Seminole Paradise.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. From I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1-800-937-0010 or online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com.